To get into a computer system, dial-up service, or network, by dialing a phone number, logging on a network such as the Internet and retrieving data.
Ways to protect confidential data in a computer or on a computer network from unauthorized access.
The time it takes a device to retrieve stored data. Technically speaking, access time is the time interval between the instant a computer calls for data from a storage medium (like a hard disk or CD-ROM) and the instant the data is delivered. This can be a matter of minutes or just microseconds from a computer's DRAM.
A World Wide Web utility that provides a comprehensive view of daily activity for a particular Web site. It is equally capable of gathering statistics for an entire server. It provides a regularly updated summary of WWW server hits and accesses, and gives a graphical representation of available statistics. It generates statistics for hourly server load, page demand, accesses by domain, and accesses by host. AccessWatch parses the WWW server log and searches for a common set of documents, usually specified by a user's root directory, such as /~username/ or /users/username. AccessWatch displays results in a graphical, compact format. This program runs an a UNIX platorm.
A graphic image viewer and editor for Windows 95 which supports among others the image file formats GIF and JPEG (JPG).
analog-to-digtal converter - the conversion of data or signal storage from analog format, like the continous electrical vibrations triggered by a voice on a phone, to the on-off digital format of computer code. SEE ALSO: binary
Unrealistic visual effects on a computer screen are known as aliasing. These peculiarities take many forms; one of the most common would be images with jagged edges or stair-stepped appearances along what is supposed to be a smooth curved surfaces (like O or S) and/or diagonal lines on the screen. Sometimes called the jaggies.
Anti-aliasing is a software techinque used in imaging systems (such as Adobe Photoshop) to make these curved edges or diagonal lines look smooth and continous.
Characters which consist of letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols found on a standard keyboard.
A message posted to a newsgroup or e-mail discussion group that does not identify the person who sent it.
program or software - all three of which refer to a computer program or set of programs that performs a specific job. World Wide Web browsers, HTML editors, and Netscape plugins are all examples of applications. This contrasts with an Operating System, such as MacOS or Windows, which manage how your computer performs tasks, and "runs" these applications.
Augmentation Research Center - set up in the 1960's by Doug Engelbart, this lab at the Stanford Research Center in Palo Alto, is credited with developing GUI tools (mouse, graphical icons, and the hypertext system) that were expanded at Xerox PARC and 20 years later, became the basics of the Macintosh computer and operating system. ARC also developed ideas about teleconferencing, e-mail, and workgroup processing tools.
Advanced Research Projects Agency - The agency of the Department of Defense that developed the Internet. Originally called DARPA. Sometimes referred to as ARPANet.
An artform which has developed through the use of low-ASCII characters. It runs the gamut from simple little doo-dads in someone's sigfile to complicated random-dot 3D stereogram images which really work. For an example of ASCII art click on the more button below. SEE ALSO: smileys and emoticons.
pronounced "at" HOME - A system designed and developed for delivering high-speed information and Internet services using cable television lines. It brings the Internet to homes and businesses at higher speeds and with greater levels of service than previously possible. @Home uses advanced network technology to enable connections that are hundreds of times faster than possible with traditional telephone modems. For a look at the @HOME network architecture, click on the more button below.
Basically, if you "subscribe" to this service, a technician from @HOME will visit your home and install a cable modem into your computer. Due to the fast speed at which subscribers to the @HOME service can access the Internet the @HOME Web site itself is incredibly bandwidth heavy. Which means that there is little regard for those who are still using a 14.4 or even 28.8 modem. So if you are not using the @HOME service expect some delays if you decide to check it out.
To create or publish a script, program, or document. Usually this is done with an authoring or scripting language such as C, C++, HTML, or Java. Whatever language you choose there are usually a wide variety of authoring tools which you can download or buy to help you.
A free automation tool that checks your POP3 mail server for new mail, downloads the waiting e-mail, sets your system clock to Internet time, and executes timed telnet sessions.
A digital "actor" or placeholder that represents where you are in the virtual world. 3D chat rooms and VRML worlds are examples of places where you would have an avatar. Usually this can be whatever you want, a cartoon, a fish, any graphical element just be aware that this image will represent who you are.
